Apparatus for handling snow



April 9, 1929. D. a. COOK APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SNOW Filed July 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet OOOOOOOOOOOOOO ooo ooooooooo D5. COO/r ATTORNEYS April 9, 1929. o. B. COOK APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SNOW Filed July 29, 1927 2 Sheqts-Sheet' 2 mvsmon ATTORNEY-Y Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES DAVID B. COOK, O]? FRANKFURT, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SNON.

Application filed July 29,

My invention relates to apparatus for handling snow, and has special reference to apparatus for removing snow from the road and depositing itinto cartsor trucks or in a windrow along the side of the road.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character of novel'and improved construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing snow in which there is provision of means for reducing the volume of the snow while it is being removed. 7

A other object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing snow in which there is provision of means for compressing the snow into briquets as it is being removed. 7

The several features of the invention whereby the above mentioned and other objects maybe attained, will be clearly under stood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which: 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly diagrammatical, of an apparatus for removing snow embodying the features of the invention in their preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan View, on an enlarged scale, of the rear portion of the apparatus; and

' Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3.? of Fig. 2.

The apparatus illustrated in t 10 drawings is mounted upon a tractor 2 of the crawler type for propelling it along the road. A fiat pan shaped scoop lof a common construction is-suitably mounted in front of the tractor for scooping the snow from the road, and an elevator 6 is provided which picks the snow from the scoop and carries it upwardly and rearwardly, and discharges it from itsupper end. 7 The apparatus is further provided with a belt conveyor 8 suitablymounted at the rear of the tractor and in position to receive the snow that is discharged om the upper end of the elevator G. This belt conveyor 8 OX- tends t ansversely of the tractor and is adapted to deliver the snow into a cart or truck or in a windrow along the side of the road. The elevator 6 comprises a belt of any suitableconstruction having blades 10 that pick the snow in separate masses from the scoop l. The conveyor passes over drums 1? that are supported by he ends of upwardly and rearwardly extendingbeams let suitably mounted on the tractor, the belt of the elevator being 1927. Serial N0. 209,207.

driven through connection with the power takeoff shaft 16 of the tractor engine. The transverse belt conveyor 8 may also be driven from said power take-oifshaft 16 through suitable connections.

In the illustrated construction means is provided for compressing the masses of snow into briquets while they are carried by the elevator blades 10 so that they are deoosited in that'form upon the transverse co nveyor 8. To provide for this the blades 10 consist of flat plates that extend substantially the width of the elevator belt, are equally spaced apart, and are arranged substantially perpendicular to the belt. The outer edges of the blades are arranged closely adjacent to boards or plates 18 that have their lower edges secured to the beams 14 of the elevator and extend substantially the length thereof. A presser plate 20 arranged between the upper portions of the side plates 18 with its rear end spaced a distance from the rear ends of said side plates 18 and has its forward end pivotally mounted upon a pin or rod 22 that extends through ears on the plate 20 and has its ends secured in said side plates. The rear end portion of-the presser plate 20 is pr vided with upstanding ears 2% through which a rod or pin 26vextends. The ends of the pin 2? extend through clearance slots 28 in the side plates .18 and eye-bolts 30 are pivotally connected with the ends of thepin and extend through bracket lugs32 projecting from the supporting bcanis let. A spring; 34 is coiled about each of the bolts 30 and is interposed between the bracket lug 32 and a nut 37 screwthreadcdon the lower end of the rod. The coiled springs 3st actthrough the eye-bolts S0 to yieldingly press the top presser plate 20 downwardly about the axis of its pivotal connection at its forward end. The presser plate 20 is inclined downwardly and rearwardly with relation to the upplcr stretch of the elevator belt, and its forward end is spaced in proximity to the upper edge of the rearmost blade carried by the upper stretch of the elevator belt.

The apparatus is further provided with an abutment or prosser plate 56 which ,is adapted toentcr the space between each two adj cent blades with its ends closely adjacent to the side plates 18, and is arranged substantially perpendicular to the elevator belt. The presser plate 36 is secured on the ends of arms 38 thatare pivotally mounted upon a fixed shaft orrod 40 which is arranged directly dash pots-50 secured to the elevator beams 14'.

The rods 46am pressed upwardly to tend to swing the presser plate 36 forwardly by means of a spring 52 coiled about each rod and interposedbetween a nut 54: secured on the r0'd,.and the upper endof the associated dash pot 50. Also, as illustratedin'the.drawings, adjustable weights 56 are mounted on bracket rods 58 that projectrearwardly from thelo werportions of the arms 38 so that these Weights cooperate with the springs 52 to swing the presser plate-36 downwardlyand forwardly. It will be apparent that either the springs52lor the weights 56 may be employed alone, or if desired, both may be'employed as illustratediin thedrawings.

\Vith this construction it willbe apparent that. as the masses ofsnoware carried upwardly by the blades 10, the ends of the masses slide over theside plates 18, and as the massespass beneath the top presser plate they are compressed ina direction substantially perpendicular to the upper stretclrof the elevator belt andto a degree depending upon the tension ofthe presser plate'springs' "34 As'each massreaches the upper or rear end-0f, the elevator and is about to .pass over the rear drum 12 .thereof, the presser plate 36 ridesoff ofthe blade adjacentthe rear side of the mass and through the action of'the springs 52 and weights 56 is swung forwardly and downwardly tocooperate with the blade 10 carrying the mass of snow to compress the mass between them, the pressure thus being applied in the direction of the travel of the mass. When the mass of snow has thus been compressed to a predetermined degree,,depending. upon the tension of the springs 52 and-the gravity of the weights 56,

I the continued movement ofthe blade 10 carryner.v

mg. the mass overcomes thetension of the springs 52v and the action of theweights 56 andif orces the presser plate 36'rearwardly and upwardly to permit the-mass of snow and its blade'to ride beneath said plate, the

mass of snow asthus compressed being. discharged over the rear drum 12: and deposited upon t-he transverse conveyor belt' 8; As said blade 10 passesbeneath the outer or lower edge of the presser plate 36, the latter is swung downwardly and :forwardly to cooperate with the next advancing blade to compress the mass ofisnow carried thereby in asimilar man- Itwill be apparent thatthe-side plates 18,

"thetop-presser plate 26,.and the end abutment or presserplate 86, all cooperate to suecessively compressthe masses of snow carried by the elevator blades into briquets and discharge them in that form upon the transverse conveyor helt,-which may deliver them into a cart or truck, or in a Windrow along the side of'th'e' roadi Thus the apparatus illustrated in the drawings is not only adapted to expeditiously remove the snow, but also to materially reduce the volume of the snow tobe handled, which permits the snow. to be. much more easily carted away than would other.- w-ise bepossible. V

As will be evident tothose skilled. in the art,- my invention permits various, modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claimis laApparatus for handlinglsnow having,

in combination, an endless conveyor having upstanding blades for conveying snow, and

in combination, an-endless conveyor having 1 upstanding blades for conveying masses of snow, and means cooperating with 1 said blades for compressing the masses or snow successively comprising an abntmentmember of substantially thewidth of each blade andadapted to enter in upright position the space. between theadjacent blades, a carrier for said member pivotally mounted above said conveyor and adapted" to be turned to swing saidmember-toward and from said conveyor, means acting to turn said carrier in a direction to yieldingly press said member .toward said' conveyor. whereby each blade during its advancing'movement may cooperate with saidmember to compress the masso't' snow carried: thereby and after the snow has been compressedto a predetermined degree to act to force 'saidmcmber upwardly ground'and conveying it: in separate masses upwardly and rearwardly an'ddischarging the massesover the upper end of the conveyor,

and means acting..automatically at a-predetermined polnt in the travel ofthe conveyor to compress each mass of snow in the general direction of the travel thereof.

5. Apparatus for handling snow having, in combination, an endless conveyor of the bucket type for removing snow from a point close'to the ground and conveying it in separate masses upwardly and rearwardly and successively discharging the masses over the upper end of the conveyor, and means acting automatically at a predetermined point in the travel of the conveyor to compress each mass of snow in the general direction of its height and in the general direction of the travel of the conveyor so as to cause the snow to be in the form of compressed lumps when discharged over the upper end of the conveyor.

6. Apparatus for handling snow having,

in combination, an endless conveyor havingupstanding blades for removing snow from a point in proximity to the ground and con veying it in separate masses upwardly and rearwardly, and means comprising a member mounted to move into the space between each two adjacent blades as each space reaches a predetermined position in the travel of the conveyor to co-operate with the advancing blade to compress the mass of snow between them.

7. Apparatus for handling snow having, in combination, an endless conveyor having upstanding blades for removing snow from a point in proximity to the ground and conveying it in separate masses upwardly and rearwardly and successively discharging the masses over the upper end of the conveyor, and means cooperating with each blade as the blade reaches a. predetermined position in the travel of the conveyor to compress the advancing mass of snow against the blade.

8. Apparatus for handlin now having, in combination, an endless conveyor having upstanding blades for removing snow from a point in proximity to the ground and conveying it in separate masses upwardly and rearwardly and successively discharging the masses over the upper end of the conveyor, and means acting automatically as each mass of snow approaches the upper end of the conveyor to compress the mass.

9. Apparatus for handling snow having, in combination, an endless conveyor having upstanding blades for removing snow from a point in proximity to the ground and corn veying' it in separate masses upwardly and rearwardly and successively discharging; the masses over the upper end of the conveyor, and means ac ting automatically as each mass of snow approaches the upper end of the conveyor to compress the mass both in the general direction of its height and in the general direction of the travel of tl e conveyor.

10. Apparatus for handling snow having, in combination, an endless conveyor having upstandinglades forming pockets with the bottom of the conveyor for removing snow from a point in proximity to the ground and conveying it in separate masses upwardly and rearwardly, and means acti automatically as each pocket reaches a predetermined position in its travel to compress the snow therein.

Intestimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 20th day of July, 1927.

DAVID B. COOK. 

